Douglas Laird
Douglas has worked in every type of library service there is over the last 30 years: schools, colleges, government, corporate, public and - the last refuge of the scoundrel - as a freelance consultant in knowledge management. For the past seven years he has worked for Birmingham Central Library, promoting Business Insight, and is currently working on transforming library services for the new £193 million Library of Birmingham. He believes in proactive services providing enterprise, creativity and learning, placing libraries at the heart of the cultural and knowledge economy, utilising web technology to deliver ever wider services, and the knowledge hub concept.
Douglas.Laird@birmingham.gov.uk
Articles by Douglas Laird:
Business Insight: BestForBusiness
Thursday, 21st May 2009
With 'only' ninety years as Birmingham Central Library's business information system, Business Insight is still finding ways to stay relevant. During the current economic crisis, that means the creation and launch of BestForBusiness, a new business trading platform that works as an online and physical service for every business, individual or organisation in the UK. Douglas Laird explains the components and benefits of BestForBusiness, as well as his ambitious plans for the platform's growth.
Business Insight: BestForBusiness [ABSTRACT]
Thursday, 21st May 2009
With 'only' ninety years as Birmingham Central Library's business information system, Business Insight is still finding ways to stay relevant. During the current economic crisis, that means the creation and launch of BestForBusiness, a new business trading platform that works as an online and physical service for every business, individual or organisation in the UK. Douglas Laird explains the components and benefits of BestForBusiness, as well as his ambitious plans for the platform's growth.
Register for our next Community session:
Transforming knowledge management at BASF – GenAI and the evolution of QKnows
10th December 2025
Latest on our YouTube channel:
Read on the Blog:
December 2025 update
3rd December 2025
- Jinfo wins CILIP’s inaugural “McFarlane & Ward Information Management” award
4th December 2025 - December 2025 update
3rd December 2025 - Review of Matchplat – combining AI with traditional industry code searching
27th November 2025
- Team roles and AI (Community) 26th February 2026
- Team demand and AI (Community) 22nd January 2026
- Transforming knowledge management at BASF – GenAI and the evolution of QKnows (Community) 10th December 2025